Pinwheel with retractable pins



Aug. 25,' 1970 4 J. 'M. QUEFFELEANT 3,525,270

PINWHEEL WITH RETRACTABLE PINS Filed Dec. 23, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JACQUES H. QUEFFELEANT BY AGENT.

1970 J. M. QUEFFELEANT 3,525,270

PINWHEEL WITH RETRACTABLE PINS 3 Sheets-Sheet :3

Filed Dec. 23, 1968 FIG.5.

1970 J. M. QUEFFELEANT 3,525,270

PINWHEEL WITH RETRACTABLE PINS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed D60. 25, 1968 United States Patent M 3,525,270 PINWHEEL WITH RETRACTABLE PINS Jacques Michel Quelfeleant, Franconville, France, as-

signor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mlch., a corporation of Michigan Filed Dec. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 786,290 Int. Cl. G06c 27/00; F16h 1/06, 55/00 US. Cl. 74415 20 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pinwheel having a plurality of teeth and a plurality of extendable pins disposed along its outer circumference is comprised of a pin-carrying portion attachable to a suitable supporting shaft, and a grooved tooth-bearing portion adjacent the pin-carrying portion and rotatably connected therewith. Each of the plurality of pins is slideably disposed in a corresponding slot formed in the pin-carrying portion and each is provided with an inwardly directed stud housed :by the groove of the toothbearing portion. The differential rotation of the toothbearing portion in one direction is effective to translate a corresponding number of pins from their normally retracted positions to their extended positions, whereas the rotation of the tooth-bearing portion in the opposite direction is effective to translatably restore the extended pins to their normal retracted positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various well known devices have been provided in the calculating machine art for performing short-cut multiplication and short-cut division. Such devices commonly provide first factor and second factor registering means and separate means for registering the product or quotient of a computation. In devices which perform multiplication, complicated control means are usually employed, in addition to the registering means, for accumulating the first multiplying factor a given number of times corresponding to the value of the second multiplying factor, and in devices which perform division, even more complex control means are usually provided for substracting the second dividing factor from the first dividing factor a given number of times according to the value of the latter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a combination pinion which is suitable for factor registration and which at the same time incorporates at least a portion of the controls which are required for factor addition and substraction. The preferred embodiment of the invention may thus be used in multiples in a calculating machine both as a means of registering the first factor of a multiplication and the second factor of a division, and as a means also for repetitiously adding or substracting the first factor in short-cut multiplication and the second factor in short-cut division.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An important aspect of the invention is the combination in a unitary wheel or pinion of both registrational means and activational means, the former consisting of a plurality of teeth disposed along the preiphery thereof which may be selectively engaged with well known add racks or rotary actuators in order to register and to store one of the factors of a computation, and the latter consisting of a plurality of radially disposed pins which are selectively extendable in response to the registration of such factor, the extended pins being engageable with a separate pinion of corresponding order to effectively add or subtract an order of the stored factor as the unitary wheel is rotated one complete revolution in a selected direction.

Patented Aug. 25, 1970 ice Another aspect of the invention is the provision of a two-part wheel consisting of a tooth-bearing portion and a pin-carrying portion, the pin-carrying portion being rigidly attachable to a rotatable shaft, and the tooth-bearing portion being rotatably connected to the pin-carrying portion in such manner as to be independently rotatable thereon.

Still another aspect of the invention is the use of an arcuate groove formed in the side surface of the toothbearing portion of the unitary wheel, such groove serving to slideably house a plurality of studs fixed to the side surfaces of the radially disposed pins. An angled portion of this groove formed intermediate the ends thereof serves as cam means for sequentially extending or retracting the pins according to the direction of rotation of the tooth-bearing portion relative to the pin-carrying portion.

Another aspect of the invention is the use of resilient detent means and ratchet means for yieldably maintaining the pre-set relative position of the tooth-bearing portion and the pin-carrying portion upon registration of a computational factor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the unitary wheel showing part of the tooth-bearing portion and one end of the angled arcuate groove formed therein, and showing also the pincarrying portion with the pins in their retracted state;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the invention showing the opposite end of the angled arcuate groove and the pincarrying portion with the pins in their extended state;

FIG. 3 is a view of the wheel taken from the side opposite that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and showing the toothbearing portion with the extremities of the extended pins appearing in profile therebeyond;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the Wheel as shown in FIG. 1 with the hidden portions of the groove and the retracted pins appearing in phantom lines;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the wheel as shown in FIG. 2 with the hidden portions of the groove and the extended pins appearing in phantom lines;

FIG. 6 is a view of the wheel taken from the same side as FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 and showing the pin-carrying portion with five pins in their extended state, the hidden portions of the groove and the pins appearing in phantom lines;

FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 3,

4 wherein the means for rotatably connecting the toothbearing portion of the wheel to the pin-carrying portion is shown in detail; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional elevation of a calculating machine schematically showing the pinwheel in relationship with corresponding orders of extraneous pinions with which the pinwheel is capable of cooperating in the performance of short-cut multiplication and division.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION able with the teeth of associated extraneous pinions in a manner hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 8, the latter description being intended as representative only of the uses that may be made of the invention.

The pin-carrying portion 13, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is comprised of a sector member having an extended circular portion of reduced diameter disposed in coaxial and integral relationship therewith, the sector member having a plurality of pins 17 slideably disposed in a plurality of radially arranged grooves 19 (FIGS. 5 and 6) formed in the innermost side surface thereof. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides eight pins 17 having a common linear dimension, and a longer pin 17 disposed in a position best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The pin 17' and each of the pins 17 is provided with a stud 27 fixed to the inner side surface of the pin and extending in the direction of the tooth-bearing portion 11. A plurality of ratchet teeth 29 are formed along the periphery of the extended circular portion of reduced diameter opposite the outer circumference of the sector member from which the pins 17 and 17' are extendable. An extended inner wall 41 (FIG. 7) of a mounting aperture of the pin-carrying portion 13, together with a keyway 39 also formed in this aperture, provide a means for mounting the pin-carrying portion 13 on a supporting shaft 57 (FIG. 8) for coordinated rotation therewith.

The tooth-bearing portion 11, as best shown in FIG. 3, consists of a circularly shaped member having a plurality of teeth disposed along the circumference thereof, a total of eighteen teeth being shown in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3. An arcuate groove 21 formed in the side surface of the tooth-bearing portion 11 adjacent the pin-carrying portion 13 effectively houses the studs 27 (FIGS. 5 and 6) fixed to the side surfaces of the pins 17 and 17. Intermediate the ends of the groove 21, an angled grooved portion 23 effectively locates adjacent portions of the groove at varying distances from the outer circumference of the pin-carrying portion 13. A hooked extremity 25 of the arcuate groove 21 cooperates with the stud 27 of the pin 17 to retract such pin in a manner hereinafter described. A detent pawl 33 fixed to a leaf spring 31 is carried on the side surface of the tooth-bearing portion 11 by means of a pair of limit studs 35 and a pair of guide studs 37. This detent pawl 33 is held in resilient cooperating relationship with the ratchet teeth 29 of the pin-carrying portion to yieldably maintain a variable preset relationship between the tooth-bearing portion and the pin-carrying portion.

The tooth-bearing portion 11 is rotatably connected to the pin-carrying portion 13 by means of a circular projection 43 fixed to the side surface of the pin-carrying portion, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. This circular projection 43 is provided with a ridge or flange 45 which cooperates with a groove 49 formed in the inner circular wall 47 of the tooth-bearing portion 11, the flange 45 in cooperation with the groove 49 serving to retain the toothbearing portion in rotatable relationship with the pincarrying portion. The circular projection 43 is provided with a plurality of transverse slots 44 as shown in FIG. 3. These transverse slots provide the circular projection 43 with sufiicient flexibility to permit the forceable assembly of the tooth-bearing portion 11 on the pin-carrying portion 13. The mounting of the extended inner wall 41 and keyway 39 of the pin-carrying portion on a suitable supporting shaft (such as shaft 57 shown in FIG. 8) together with the rotatable mounting of the tooth-bearing portion on the circular projection 43 of the pin-carrying portion is permissive of a differential rotation of the tooth-bearing portion relative to the pin-carrying portion at a time when the latter is maintained in a stationary position by the supporting shaft.

The clockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion 11, as viewed in FIG. 4 and starting from a position therein represented, is effective to extend the pin 17' by means of the hooked extremity 25 of the groove 21, and to thereafter sequentially extend the pins 17 beginning with the pin farthest removed from the pin '17, by means of the camming action of the angled portion 23 of the groove, such clockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion being effective to rotatably house the studs 27 of the pins 17 in the portion of the groove 21 which is disposed in closest proximity to the circumference of the tooth-bearing portion. The counterclockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion 11 relative to the pin-carrying portion 13, beginning from the position illustrated in FIG. 5, is effective to sequentially retract the pins 17 beginning with the pin adjacent the pin 17, by means of the angled portion 23 of the groove acting on the studs 27, and to thereafter retract the pin 17' by the action of the hooked extremity 25 of the groove on the stud 27 of the pin 17', such counterclockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion 11 being effective to locate the studs 27 of the pins 17 in that portion of the arcuate groove 21 which is farthest removed from the circumference of the tooth-bearing portion. The clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion relative to the stationary pin-carrying portion may be accomplished by means of either add racks or rotary actuators such as that shown at 55 in FIG. 8, the engagement of the teeth 15 with the actuator 55 being accomplished through conventional actuating means.

When the toothed-bearing portion 11 is rotated a difierential clockwise distance, as viewed in FIG. 4 and starting from the position therein represented, the pin 17 and a predetermined number of pins 17 will be extended in the manner previously described, such predetermined number of pins corresponding to the extent of the clockwise rotation. The differential counterclockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion 11, culminating in the relative positions of the two portions as shown in FIG. 4, will be effective to retract the pins 17 which were extended during a preceding clockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion, and to finally retract the pin 17'. The resilient cooperation of the detent pawl 33 with the ratchet teeth 29 of the pin-carrying portion 13 is effective to resiliently maintain the relative pre-set positioning of the tooth-bearing portion and the pin-carrying portion which was established during the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the tooth-bearing portion, during which rotation the detent pawl is ratcheted over the ratchet teeth 29 until such preset positioning is established.

One example of the use that may be made of the preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with reference to FIG. 8, wherein a pinwheel 11, 13 is shown in relationship with a rotary actuator and with associated pinions each representing an order cooresponding to the order of the pinwheel 11, 13, FIG. 8 schematically illustrating a calculating machine in which both multiplication and division computations may be performed. In the illustration of FIG. 8, the pinwheels 11, 13 would be used as a means of registering the first factor of a multiplication and the second factor of a division. The pinions 53 would be used as a means of registering the second factor of a multiplication and for accumulating the quotient of a division. The pinions 51 would be used as a means of registering the first factor of a division and for accumulating the product of a multiplication. The first factor of a multiplication and the second factor of a division would be registered in the pinwheels 11, 13 by means of the rotary actuators 55, the tooth-bearing portions 11 being rotated in a clockwise direction relative to the pin-carrying portions 13 and to the shaft 57 at a time when the latter shaft is rotationally immobile, such clockwise rotation resulting in the extension of a predetermined number of pins according to the digit values of the first or second factor. Upon completion of this registering operation, the pinwheels 11, 13 are disengaged from the actuators 55 and thereafter retained in their pre-set relative positions by means of the resilient detent pawls 33. During ensuing multiplying cycles, the shaft 57 and the pre-set pinwheels 11, 13 would be rotated a number of times in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction under the control of the pinions 53, to thereby accumulate a product in the pinions 51, said accumulation resulting from the cooperation of the extended pins of the pin-carrying portions 13 with the teeth of the pinions 51. During ensuing division cycles the shaft 57 and the inwheels 11, 13 would be rotated a number of times in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction under the control of the pinions 51, to thereby accumulate a quotient in the pinions 53.

While the invention has been shown and described in considerable detail, it will be understood that other variations thereof may be had without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotatable shaft-supported member having a plurality of translatable pins and a plurality of teeth disposed along the periphery thereof, said teeth being engageably associated with a first extraneous means, said member being drivenly rotatable by said first extraneous means and by said supporting shaft, said pins being translatably extendable and retractable in response to said driven rotation of said member in opposite directions, said extension and retraction of said pins being effective respectively to establish and disestablish a cooperating relationship with a second extraneous means, said cooperating relationship being effective to activate said latter extraneous means as said member is rotated by said supporting shaft.

2. The rotatable shaft-supported member defined in claim 1 wherein said member comprises: a tooth-bearing portion, a pin-carrying portion, and first mounting means for rotatably connecting said tooth-bearing portion to said pin-carrying portion, said pin-carrying portion additionally comprising second mounting means for mounting said member on said supporting shaft for coordinated rotation therewith.

3. The rotatable member defined in claim 2 wherein said second mounting means for mounting said member on said supporting shaft additionally comprises: a central aperture formed in said pin-carrying portion, said central aperture having an extended inner wall and a keyway corresponding in diameter and profile to the diameter and key of said supporting shaft.

4. The rotatable member defined in claim 3 wherein said first mounting means for rotatably connecting said tooth-bearing portion to said pin-carrying portion additionally comprises:

(a) a central aperture formed in said tooth-bearing portion, said central aperture presenting a circular inner wall coaxially disposed of said extended inner wall of said pin-carrying portion, said inner wall of said tooth-bearing portion having a groove formed in the outermost rim thereof, and

(b) a circular projection fixed to the side surface of said pin-carrying portion, said circular projection having an outwardly directed flange disposed along the outer extremity thereof, said inner wall of said tooth-bearing portion being rotatable on said circular projection fixed to said pin-carrying portion and said tooth-bearing portion being rotatably retained in adjacent contacting relationship with said pincarrying portion by the engagement of said flange of said circular projection with said groove formed in said outermost rim of said inner wall of said toothbearing portion.

5. The rotatable member defined in claim 2 wherein said pin-carrying portion additionally comprises:

(a) a plurality of radially disposed open-ended grooves translatably housing said plurality of pins, said open ends of said grooves being disposed along the periphery of one hemicycle of said pin-carrying portion, and

(b) a plurality of ratchet teeth disposed along the periphery of the opposite hemicycle of said pincarrying portion.

6. The rotatable member defined in claim 5 wherein each of said translatable pins housed by said open-ended grooves of said pin-carrying portion comprises a stud fixed to a side surface thereof and extending inwardly and away from its associated open-ended groove.

7. The rotatable member defined in claim 6 wherein said tooth-bearing portion additionally comprises:

(a) an arcuate groove formed in the side surface thereof adjacent said pin-carrying portion, said arcuate groove having an angled portion intermediate the ends thereof effectively locating a first and a second grooved portion at varying distances from said periphery of said tooth-bearing portion, said arcuate groove serving to rotatably house said studs fixed to said translatable pins,

(b) detent means, and

(c) resilient means effectively biasing said detent means into contacting relationship with said ratchet teeth of said pin-carrying portion.

8. The rotatable member defined in claim 7 wherein said first grooved portion of said arcuate groove is disposed at a greater distance from said periphery of said tooth-bearing portion than said second grooved portion, said rotation of said tooth-bearing portion in a first direction by said first extraneous means being effective through the camming action of said angled portion of said arcuate groove on said studs fixed to said pins to sequentially translate said pins from their retracted positions within the r associated open-ended grooves to their extended positions relative thereto, said extended positions thereof being characterized by the housing of said studs by said second grooved portion, said rotation of said toothbearing portion in a second direction by said first extraneous means being effective through said camming action of said angled portion of said arcuate groove on said studs to translate said pins from their extended positions within their associated open-ended grooves to their retracted positions relative thereto, said retracted positions thereof being characterized by the housing of said studs by said first grooved portion.

9. The rotatable member defined in claim 8 wherein said rotation of said tooth-bearing portion a differential distance in said first direction by said first extraneous means is effective to sequentially translate a predetermined number of pins from their said retracted positions to their said extended positions, said predetermined number of extended pins corresponding to the extent of said first direction rotation of said tooth-bearing portion.

10. The rotatable member defined in claim 8 wherein said rotation of said tooth-bearing portion by said first extraneous means in said first and said second directions is accompanied by a ratcheting of said detent means of said tooth-bearing portion over said ratchet teeth of said pin-carrying portion against the bias of said resilient means, said resilient means and said detent means cooperating with a selected tooth of said ratchet teeth upon the completion of said rotation of said tooth-bearing portion a differential distance in said first direction to effectively maintain said corresponding number of teeth in their said extended positions as said second extraneous means is thereby activated a corresponding distance during each revolution of said supporting shaft.

11. A pinwheel for multiple use in a calculating machine as a means of rotatably registering and successive ly accumulating either the first factor of a multiplication or the second factor of a division, said pin wheel comprising a tooth-bearing member and a pin-carrying member, said tooth-bearing member being drivenly associated with an actuator of corresponding order and said pincarrying member being supportably associated with a power shaft and drivingly associated with at least one pinion of corresponding order, said driven rotation of said tooth-bearing member by said associated actuator being eifective for conditioning said pin-carrying member for a controlled driving activation of said associated pinion during each complete revolution of said power shaft.

12. The pinwheel defined in claim 11 wherein said pin-carrying member comprises:

(a) a plurality of radially disposed open-ended grooves, said open ends of said grooves being disposed along the periphery of one hemicycle of said pin-carrying member,

(b) a plurality of translatable pins slideably disposed in said open-ended grooves, each of said pins comprising a stud fixed to a side surface thereof and extending inwardly and away from its associated open-ended groove, said pins being extendable and retractable in response to said driven rotation of said tooth-bearing member by said associated actuator, said pins when in their extended positions being effective to activate said associated pinion as said power shaft is rotated through one complete revolution, and

(c) a plurality of ratchet teeth disposed along the periphery of the opposite hemicycle of said pincarrying member.

13. The pinwheel defined in claim 12 wherein said tooth-bearing member comprises:

(a) a plurality of teeth disposed along the periphery thereof, said teeth being engageably associated with said actuator of corresponding order,

(b) an arcuate groove formed in the side surface thereof adjacent said pin-carrying member, said arcuate groove rotatably housing said studs fixed to said translatable pins, said arcuate groove having an angled portion intermediate the ends thereof effectively separating a first and a second grooved portion disposed at varying distances from said periphery of said tooth-bearing member, and

(c) resilient detent means disposed on said side surface thereof comprising said arcuate groove, said detent means cooperating with said ratchet teeth of said pin-carrying member.

14. The pinwheel defined in claim 13 wherein said driven rotation of said tooth-bearing member in a first direction by said associated actuator is elfective through the camming action of said angled portion of said arcuate groove on said studs fixed to said pins to sequentially translate said pins from their retracted positions within their associated open-ended grooves to their extended positions relative thereto, said extended positions thereof being characterized by the housing of said studs by said second grooved portion of said arcuate groove of said toothbearing member.

15. The pinwheel defined in claim 14 wherein said translation of said pins from their retracted positions to their extended positions is effective to establish a cooperating relationship between said pin wheel and said pinion with which said pin-carrying member is drivingly associated, said cooperating relationship resulting in said driving activation of said associated pinion as said power shaft is rotated through each complete revolution.

16. The pinwheel defined in claim 14 wherein said driven rotation of said tooth-bearing member in a second direction by said associated actuator is effective through the camming action of said angled portion of said arcuate groove on said studs fixed to-said pins to sequentially translate said pins from their extended positions within their associated open-ended grooves to their retracted positions relative thereto, said retracted positions thereof being characterized by the housing of said studs by said first grooved portion of said arcuate groove, said translation of said pins from their extended positions to their retracted positions being effective to disestablish said cooperating relationship between said pin wheel and said associated pinion.

, 17. The pinwheel defined in claim 14 wherein said driven rotation of said tooth-bearing member a differential distance in said first direction is effective to sequentially translate a predetermined number of pins from their said retracted positions to their said extended positions, said predetermined number of extended pins corresponding to the extent of said first direction rotation of said tooth-bearing member.

18. The pinwheel defined in claim 17 wherein the extent of said controlled driving activation of said associated pinion during each complete revolution of said power shaft is proportionally related to the number of pins of said pin-carrying member effectively extended by said first direction rotation of said tooth-bearing member by said associated actuator.

19. The pinwheel defined in claim 11 wherein said pin-carrying member is supportably mounted on said power shaft by means comprising: a central aperture formed in said pin-carrying member, said central aperture having an extended inner wall and a keyway corresponding in diameter and profile to the diameter and key of said power shaft.

7 20. The pinwheel defined in claim 11 wherein said tooth-bearing member is rotatably connected to said pincarrying member by means comprising:

(a) a central aperture formed in said tooth-bearing member, said central aperture presenting a circular inner wall coaxially disposed of said extended inner wall of said pin-carrying member, said circular inner wall of said tooth-bearing member having a groove formed in the outermost rim thereof, and

(b) a circular projection fixed to the side surface of said pin-carrying member, said circular projection having an outwardly directed flange disposed along the outer extremity thereof, said inner wall of said tooth-bearing member being rotatable on said circular projection fixed to said pin-carrying member and said tooth-bearing member being rotatably retained in adjacent contacting relationship with said pin-carrying member by the engagement of said flange of said circular projection with said groove formed in said outermost rim of said inner wall of said tooth-bearing member.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 563,448 5/1957 Italy.

LEONARD H. GERIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 74--432; 235-81 

